Julius

Julius is an open source re-implementation of Caesar III. It will stay true to the original while bringing the game to new systems as well as improving the UI and adding support for widescreen resolutions. This version should even be compatible with save files from the original game! As usual, asset files are required to run it, but since the current release is at version 1.0 it should be rather complete.

I found no screenshot from it, but this unofficial video shows the game:

OpenSWE1R

OpenSWE1R is an open source port of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer. This will make it possible to run the game on modern systems and will most likely also support new resolutions and such that the original game didn't. You will still need the original game files though. I have fond memories of playing this on my Dreamcast, so I believe it could be worth a try again.

Infinite Tux

Infinite Tux is a free and open source variant of a game called Infinite Mario and replaces the proprietary graphics with free alternatives. The game generates platforming levels procedurally so you will always have something new to play. It creates both worlds and levels and seems to play really smooth and well. Have a go if you fancy some fast-paced platforming!

Running along the platforms in Infinite Tux.

Open Fodder

Open Fodder is simply put an open source clone of the game Cannon Fodder. As with most similar remakes you will need the original data files to play, and because I don't have them I can't say how far the project has come. But it seems to be rather complete juding from the screenshots and available information, even having support for several different campaigns from various versions of the game, so fans of this classic ought to check it out.

KKnD - Milestone 0.1.0

When I last mentioned OpenRA I also mentioned a recreation of the excellent classic RTS KKnD based on the OpenRA engine. This project has since then put out it's first milestone: 0.1.0. As the developers mention in the release notes, this is an early version focusing on the first KKnD game and multiplayer gameplay. Single-player will have to wait a bit longer. KKnD is also a game that has non-free assets, so you need to own the original game or be content with the demo. Please read the text from the release page above before downloading, and then: have fun!

A big battle between two bases in this KKnD remake!

C-Dogs SDL 0.6.6 - 0.6.8

More than a year ago since I last mentioned the classic multiplayer shooter C-Dogs! There has been several releases with lots of new stuff. Two new spooky campaigns (though I saw this a bit late for Halloween!), several HUD-improvements, semi-transparency effects, a separate key for throwing grenades (trust me, that is useful) and more. To get a full overview of all new stuff, have a look at the projects news section!

C-Dogs showing off the new grenade-button.

OpenRA - 20180923

The extremely polished recreation of the classic Command & Conquer-games (as well as Dune 2000), OpenRA, keeps the banner high with regular releases. The latest is called 20180923 and includes several months worth of work. There is a new player account system bringing together more aspects of the games online community, several UI improvements, AppImage packages, performance improvements and many other fixes, balancing and tweaks. The Mod SDK has received large improvements too, and many interesting mods seem to be in the work. Personally I love the fact that one of them attempts to recreate another classic RTS: KKND.

New mouse-overs displays hints in OpenRA.

OpenTomb

OpenTomb is a game engine remake for the classic Tomb Raider games. The engine re-implements game 1-5 and preserves these classic action-adventures for posterity by providing a modern and free engine to run them on. Since I don't have the original games I can't try it and comment on how complete it is. But development seems very active, so if you have one of these games laying around you might want to give it a try.

OpenTomb engine displaying trap emitters.

Freeciv 2.6

Freeciv has had a major release after three years of hard work. This great empire-builder has so many improvements I couldn't even begin to mention them. Rest assured that the game plays better than ever, so perhaps it's time to get a multiplayer-session together and have some fun! Remember that if you don't think the main game has enough options or a graphical style that suits you, you can change it up with rulesets, modpacks or new art and tilesets. Also, don't forget that the game can be played online in the form of Freeciv-web, complete with a WebGL-based 3D engine.

You probably need to click this image of Freeciv to notice all the little detail that hides beneath those flags. :)

CorsixTH

Can't get enough of the classic title Theme Hospital? The modern engine-implementation CorsixTH has got you covered with a new release called 0.62. There are several fixes and improvements to this already very complete engine. Just load up your old Theme Hospital CD and copy the data files and you're ready to go! And if you don't have the original, you can try the demo which is available from the CorsixTH page.

Getting a zoomed-out high-res view like this is possible using CorsixTH.

Taisei Project

Taisei is a Free clone of the Tōhō series of games. It's a bullet hell shooter with some nice art and six levels. There's even some well-drawn artwork and cool 3D backgrounds. It is also pretty much completed at version 1.1. It looks cool and it's a genre I like, so it's cool to see a Free game like this. Well woth a look for fans of the genre! (Oh, and you might need a video to really appreciate how this plays.)

Taisei showing one of it's promised bullet hells.

GNU FreeDink

GNU FreeDink is a new engine for the classic Action-RPG Dink Smallwood. Not only does this engine recreate the game, it also has compatibility with various mods and add-ons. Most of the original data-files seems to be free, so the game should be completely playable even though the GNU FreeDink project is still working on replacing a few of the sounds. Included with the project is a front-end for loading various mods and add-ons, so it should all be easy to use. The game sure seems enjoyable and quirky. Enjoy!

Wielding a sword and casting fireballs in GNU FreeDink.

OpenRA - 20170421

Classic RTS engine OpenRA, that lets you play Command & Conquer, Red Alert, Dune 2000 as well as several mods, has got a new major release. As always there are balancing fixes and new maps, and new in this release is also HiDPI font rendering and many improvements to the various supported games such as graphical polish in the Dune 2000 mod. The majority of changes in this release however are behind the scenes, preparing for even better modding capabilities as well as support for the newer game Tiberian Sun.

New shroud generating behaviour is another addition in this release.

OpenTTD - 1.7.0

Transportation business simulation game OpenTTD has reached a new milestone in 1.7.0. Besides bug fixes and smaller improvements the majority of the work seems to be based around the New Graphics Resource File that should make modifying the game easier and more flexible. (If I have understood this right. :) There are also some UI improvements, realistic acceleration for trains and road vehicles, performance improvements and more. Be sure to check it out if you fancy this rather advanced strategy game.

This screenshot from OpenTTD is old, but I'm having trouble finding new ones. :)

C-Dogs - 0.6.4

Ever-fun run-and-gunner C-Dogs just got it's new nice walking animations! There is also a new features that lets objects spawn items when destroyed, so now you can get healthpacks by destroying those crates!

Here's the new walking animation in action. Looks fancy!

SDLPoP

I just found an open source version of Prince of Persia. More childhood memories! I was very young when I played this in the early 90's, but I can still remember the layout of the entire first level. ;) This release seems to include necessary data, so it's just to download and play! If you want music you need to download it separately though. Check the instructions for that here.

Back in the day, these animations were very impressice due to their smoothness. They still look good today.

FreeRCT / OpenRCT2

While city-building simulators like Sim City were fun, it was undoubtedly more fun to build and run an amusement park. So many great childhood memories comes from the two games that let me do that. First I played Theme Park (for Sega MegaDrive, even) a lot, and then later RollerCoaster Tycoon. The latter might be a bit hard to run today, but thankfully there are Free open source projects that work on taking care of that!

The most interesting project is FreeRCT. It's homepage appears to be down at the moment and the project has no binary release yet. But a lot of work seems to have been done, and as FreeRCT attempts to create everything from code to graphics from scratch I can image it will take some time before it's complete. I'd love to see it completed though. A fully Free - both code and assets - game of this type would be really fun to have!

Rollercoasters and roads in FreeRCT.

Another alternative is the OpenRCT2 project. It's an re-implementation of the RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 engine, that uses the same data files as the original. Besides being a total recreation of the original game it expands upon it by offering new features such as multiplayer support, fast-forwarding gameplay, OpenGL rendering and more. For me, the most important features is Linux support, which it has! OpenRCT2 is complete and if you have a copy of the original it shouldn't be to hard to get it working!

A slice of scenery from OpenRCT2.

GZDoom - 2.3.1

GZDoom, the modern Doom engine, lately reached 2.3 and 2.3.1. The latter is a smaller bugfix release while the former adds a whole slew of new features. The engine now has official scripting support, support for screen space ambient occlusion, an improved IWAD picker, many rendering improvements, etc. If you want to play Doom or any mods based on it with some modern graphic effects, look no further!

Another cool screenshot taken from the GZDoom forum. Note the reflections and the map on the wall.

The Bub's Brothers

More blasts from the past, as another game from my childhood makes an open source comeback. The Bub's Brothers is based on Bubble Bobble, a classic little platformer that is really fun to play in two-player mode. The Bub's Brothers takes this to a whole new level offering multiplayer for up to 10 players! Three players can play on the same computer and for more players the game has network support. Compared to the original there is also new levels, a random level generator and a big set of crazy bonuses. Polished 2D graphics are included as well!

Lots of players makes for some rather crazy situations in The Bub's Brothers.

AdaVenture

AdaVenture is a retro-styled point and click game, described as kid-friendly and inspired by a classic Atari game called simply Adventure. There is a story, set in ancient Persia, with two different campaigns. The latest release is 1.0.7 and development seems rather rapid with several releases over the last months. There is even gamepad support!

Exploring a temple and finding a key in AdaVenture.